鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
ThosewhothinkShanghaiwillovertakeHongKongarenaive.WeinHongKonghaveasecretweapon.Atleastforthenext40years.It'ssomethingwhichnoothercityorplaceinChinahas.Shanghaicertainlydoesnothaveit.Beijingmostcertainlydoesnothaveit.NotinGuangdong,noranyofthecoastalcities,norNanjing,norChengdu,norWuhan,noranywhereelseinChina.
WhatwehaveinHongKongisfreedom.Freedomofexpressionandgeneralfreedominafairlycivilizedcommunity.IfevertherewasatestamenttoDeng'smaximof"Onecountry,twosystems"working,itisthefactthatthoseofuswhoareluckytobeinHongKongarefree.OurcompatriotsinChinaarenotfree.That'swhyitirritatesmewhenpeople,especiallyshallowforeigners,starttellingmethatChinaismorecapitalisticthancommunist.Forthattohappen,alltheinhabitantsofChinawouldhavetobefree.Buttheyarenot.Reductioadabsurdum,Chinaisnotmorecapitalisticthancommunist.TheproblemisofcoursethatagreatmanyadvocatesofChina'sprogressiveopeninguparepaintingfarrosierapicture.ThefactisthatthereisverylimitedfreedominChina.Igrantthatthereisalotmorenowadaysthan,say,10or20or30yearsago.ButthenthedarkdaysoftheCulturalRevolutioncementedsuchalowbaseoffreedomthatanysituationcouldbesaidtobeanimprovement.
JustimagineifyoulivedinChina,youwillhavetobeextremelycarefulaboutwhatyousay.Ifyoucommitapoliticalindiscretionorgivetheslightesthintthatyouaresomehowconnectedwith,say,theFalungGong,you'dbeintroublebeforeyoucanblink!ThereisveryrestrictedfreedominChina,andthelikesofHenryKissingerandotherignorantforeignerswhotraveltoChinaandmakesuperficialobservationsshouldbegintorealizethereality.
Therefore,IamcompletelyconfidentthatweinHongKong,solongaswecanhangontothefreedomwehavebeenenjoying,wouldnothavetoworryaboutanyplaceinChinaovertakingus.Mindyou,onlyforanother40years-toyear2047whenthespecialstatusofHongKongcollapses.
That'swhyitissoimportant,soutterlyimportant,forusinHongKongtoplanconsciouslyandconscientiouslybytakingadvantageofourfreedom.Thisheadstartof50yearssince1997willnotbegiventoHongKongagain.IfwedonotappreciatethisandjustsitbackcomplacentlyorbegintoresigntothepropositionthatcitieslikeShanghaiwillovertakeHongKong,thenwewillbedoomedtooblivion.
ImustconfessIhavenotseennorheardmuchdiscussion(certainlytherehasbeennorealpublicdebate)onthistopicofformingavisionandastrategyandapassionforwhatweshoulddowithinourhour-glassof50yearsof"Onecountry,twosystems".ButIcancertainlythinkofonething.Itinvolvesouracademicinstitutions.ThusitwaswithgreatreliefthatIreadthisweekthattheChineseUniversityhasacommitmenttobecomingaglobalcentreofChinesestudies.Foryears,IhavebeensayingthatHongKongafter2047shouldstillbeanoutstandingcityinChina,andonerespectinwhichthiscanbeachievedisifwemightregardourselvesastheOxfordorCambridgeofChina.Thefactisthatwehavethemarvellousfreedominwhichtodothis.Andfreedomofexpressioniscentraltothebusinessofscholarship.WeinHongKonghavethatfreedom.TheyinChinadon't.Wedon'thavethebestscholarshiphere.ButtheydoinChina.Soit'svitalthatChinesescholarsshouldflocktoHongKongandhelpbuildHongKongintothefutureOxbridgeofChina.IsalutewholeheartedlywhattheChineseUniversityisdoing.Ihopepassionatelythatitwillsucceed.IalsohopethateveryoneinHongKongshoulddosomethingtocontributetothiscause.Therichcanswellthemuchrequiredfundswithwhichtobuildfaculties;thescholarscanchoosetostayinHongKongratherthantogoabroadforresearchandteaching;thosealreadyabroadcancomebacktohelpandbringgravitastotheUniversity;ordinarypeopleatlargeshouldvoicetheirsupportforsuchaschemewhichwillsetHongKongapartfromothercities,nowandbeyond2047.Actnow.Thereisnotimetowaste.Carpediem!